Italian Women Writers, 18002000 Boundaries, Borders, and Transgression [Paperback]

Including essays on a wide selection of well-known and less-known women writers of the last two centuries, this useful collection is arranged in sections devoted to the topics of spatial and cultural boundaries, border identities, and excluded, marginalized identities (including migrant writers). The element of transgression is included in the critical orientation of the volume, as contributors explore how women writers sought to escape the limits imposed on them by social, cultural, and professional presuppositions regarding the role of women in Italian society. As is generally the case in collections of essays by diverse scholars, some essays stand out from the rest in terms of critical acumen, depth, and originality, but all of the essays in the present collection have something of worth to offer. This reviewer found Anne Hallamore Caesars opening essay, 'Confinement, and Shifting Boundaries in Post-Unification Writing by Women,' and Margherita Ganeris piece on the narrative voice in Elsa Morantes La Storia particularly insightful. It is pleasing that this well-constructed volume treats not only narrative but also autobiographical writings and poetry. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.This book investigates narrative, autobiography, and poetry by Italian women writers from the nineteenth century to today and considers the topics of boundaries and borders in their writings.Italian Women Writers, 18002000: Boundaries, Borders, and Transgression investigates narrative, autobiography, and poetry by Italian women writers from the nineteenth century to today, focusing on topics of spatial and cultural boundaries, border identities, and expressions of excluded identities. This book discusses works by known and less-known writers as well as by some new writers: Sibilla Aleramo, La Marchesa Colombi, Giuliana Morandini, Elsa Morante, Neera, Matilde Serao, Ribka Sibhatu, Patrizia Valduga, Annie Vivanti, Laila Waida, among others; wril3,